Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are quietly duking it out behind the scenes to win the support of prominent figures in the African American political establishment, today's New York Observer reports. Many of these figures are torn between their longtime association with the Clintons and their recognition that Obama's candidacy potentially represents history in the making -- and the paper provides a rundown of who's with whom and why:

* Rep. Charles Rangel: With Hillary, but thinks that Obama “can become a hero in the black community.”

*Jesse Jackson: With Obama, because “I think he has the right stuff.”

* Alabama Rep. Artur Davis: With Obama, because “The fact of the matter is that Obama offers this country the chance to transform itself overnight with his election to the Presidency.”

* Rev. Al Sharpton: Undecided; thinks that Obama “has all of the right stuff, but he has to connect. It’s like having electricity: If somebody doesn’t put the light on, it doesn’t matter that it’s in the walls—you’re still in the dark.”

The paper's full rundown is here.